Media Day Transcript

Monday, June 6, was Media Day for the 93rd PGA Championship, which will take place at Atlanta Athletic Club in August. Defending champion Martin Kaymer was on hand for the festivities. Below is the complete transcript.

Martin Kaymer is the defending champion of the PGA Championship. (Getty Images)

Courtesy of ASAP Sports

JULIUS MASON: Good afternoon, everyone. I'd like to welcome you to the Atlanta Athletic Club and the 93rd PGA Championship media day. Before we get to the agenda, we would invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy the history and tradition that is the PGA Championship.

(Video shown.)

That video, ladies and gentlemen, is compliments of Rob Correa and our friends at CBS Sports, so thank you very much for that.

There are some people in the audience that I would like to recognize, beginning with our guests from the Georgia PGA Section; president, Patrick Richardson; vice president, Brian Stubbs; secretary, Mark Mongell; and executive director, Michael Paul.

From Atlanta Athletic Club, general manager Chris Borders. Thank you very much for lunch today and your hospitality.

Several members of the 2011 PGA Championship executive committee are joining us, as well; PGA head golf professional Rick Anderson; superintendent I promise you, Ken, we only said your name in vain six times out there today Ken Mangum; how about world renowned golf course architect who redesigned this property in 2007, front row, Mr. Rees Jones; from the PGA of America, honorary PGA member and CEO, Joe Steranka; the senior director of championships, David Charles; and the 93rd PGA Championship director, Ryan Cannon.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I'll turn the microphone open to the general chairman of the 93rd PGA Championship Mr. Tom Adderhold.

TOM ADDERHOLD: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I'd like to congratulate Martin on his win at Whistling Straits last year. We're very proud to have you here as our defending champion. We're very excited to watch as you defend your title. We also have a special guest here for you today, the consulate general from Germany, Mr. Lutz Görgens.

On behalf of the members of the 93rd PGA Championship executive committee and members of the Atlanta Athletic Club, I'd like to welcome you all to our facilities today. Those of y'all who played out here today, I'm like Julius, we took Rees' name in vain a few times.

We cannot wait to host our third PGA Championship and watch the greatest players in the world battle it out for the Wanamaker Trophy on the Highlands Course. The Atlanta Athletic Club is very much at home hosting golf's major championships. When we were at our original location of East Lake, we hosted the 1950 Women's Amateur and the 1963 Ryder Cup. Since we've been at Johns Creek, we have hosted the 1976 U.S. Open, the '81 PGA, the 1990 Women's Open, and the 2001 PGA Championship. I guess we can say here we go with a great venue again.

We're honored to be selected as the repeat host of the PGA Championship. In fact, this will be our third PGA Championship, making us one of only five different facilities to have hosted three or more championships.

Over the last several years, our members and our staff once again donated countless hours in preparation for the season's final major. And while it requires a tremendous amount of hard work to organize and prepare for an event of this magnitude, we look forward and welcome the challenge. To that end, we hope that everyone in this community and the surrounding communities realize how special this event will be and have made the decision to purchase their tickets, if not get on line and do them, and be here to watch another chapter be written in the golf history books.

Come August, the Atlanta Athletic Club will be ready, and I hope to see you all there. Thank you.

JULIUS MASON: Now let's hear from the mayor of Johns Creek, the Honorable Mike Bodker.

HON. MIKE BODKER: I first want to the thank the Atlanta Athletic Club and the PGA for the honor of being here today. The city of Johns Creek is very, very excited to welcome the world of golf and present the PGA Championship history exhibit to help host golf's final major. And today we're just as excited to welcome Martin Kaymer, the 2010 PGA champion. It's a real pleasure to welcome you to Johns Creek.

And I hope as you're around town over the next several weeks leading up to the tournament that you're going to hear some words over and over again, which is our catch phrase for this tournament, and that is "The world is watching Johns Creek, Georgia." This is going to help answer a question that we've needed answering for quite a while. I went out to Las Vegas and accepted an award in the first year of cityhood from the mayor of Las Vegas, and he was reading a script, much like this, and he got about halfway down, and meanwhile I'm about halfway to him at the podium, and he looks up and he goes, "Where the hell is Johns Creek, Georgia?" And I'm hoping after a few tens of millions of folks watch this broadcast and see you play some spectacular golf that we'll finally have the answer to the question where is Johns Creek, Georgia, and we won't be asking that question any longer.

It's truly the way that we've approached the honor of being the host city of this 93rd PGA Championship. Our staff has been working hand in hand with the PGA now for over two years in order to ensure that we live up to the fine examples that we've seen in previous host cities and that we bring our own unique Johns Creek stamp to the role.

We've enlisted the cooperation of our surrounding communities and the state of Georgia to make sure that all the operations run smoothly and that our guests are able to do what they came here for, to enjoy the world's most exciting golf event in comfort, convenience and safety. Our hotels are fully booked and our shops and restaurants are eager to join in welcoming everyone to this championship.

I feel it's also important to remark on the outstanding partnership that's grown between the city and the Atlanta Athletic Club. It's no secret that Johns Creek with six golf courses is one of the region's premier golfing communities, and to have the Atlanta Athletic Club, which this year becomes, as Tom said, one of only five clubs in history of the championship to host the event three times or more as part of Johns Creek is invaluable for our residents, businesses, and our guests. And I'd be remiss if I did not thank Tom and all those who have worked so closely with the city and with the PGA, Allen and his group, for the outstanding partnerships that have been forged over these few years. I hope that this is just the beginning of many more golf events here in Johns Creek, because after all, the world is watching, and we will deliver.

JULIUS MASON: Thank you very much, Mayor.

Martin, I'm just guessing that if you defend your championship properly here, you'd probably get a key to the city off of that man down at the end of the table.

Now let's hear from a longtime friend of the PGA of America, all the way from New York City, the executive vice president of programming for CBS Sports, Mr. Rob Correa.

ROB CORREA: Thank you, Julius, and thank you to the PGA of America, the officers, one of which I played with today, who actually gave me a tip. Of course he waited until about the 17th hole to do it, but it was I think an effective tip. Joe Steranka, who's been a long time business partner and more importantly friend, and his terrific staff of Kerry Haigh and Kevin Carter, Julius Mason, of course, Casey Morton, Kathy Jorden, Una Jones. I'm probably leaving some people out, but they are absolutely first class people and really first class business partners, as well.

We like them so much that we've renewed the PGA Championship with CBS through 2019. We did that earlier in the year. And that will make it a 29 year relationship and counting, we hope. Again, a great business partner and great friends.

Last year over 30 million people watched all or part of our weekend telecast of the PGA Championship. It's really a pretty astounding number. It's clearly one of the preeminent events in golf, and we're thrilled to televise it. As you saw in the video, we've seen everything since 1991 when we started our relationship, everything from Daly in '91, Azinger, Norman, Davis Love's rainbow, Shaun Micheel's 7 iron, Tiger's four wins, including his memorable win at Valhalla, Rich Beem, Y.E. Yang, and of course David Toms in 2001, and I'm leaving out 15 unbelievable PGAs, as well.

Our production team is headed by our head of production, Harold Bryant, who's right over here, and under his supervision, Lance Barrow, our coordinating producer, and Steve Milton, our coordinating director for golf, will be all over this event, and our talent, which we think is the best in golf, includes David Feherty, Gary McCord, Peter Kostis we have so many here I have to read it Bill Macatee, Peter Oosterhuis, Vern Lundquist, Ian Baker Finch and of course on 18 Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo. We can't wait until August. It'll be great.

JULIUS MASON: Thanks very much, Rob. Now, ladies and gentlemen, all the way from downtown Atlanta, our television and digital media partner at Turner Sports, senior vice president, Matt Hong.

MATT HONG: Thank you, Julius. I'm pleased to represent Turner Sports here today in two of our capacities, both televising the event on TNT and also in our partnership with the PGA of America operating PGA.com, which is the official site of the PGA Championship.

We're also pleased to have this world class facility in our back yards, so I'd like to relay thanks from our significant others that we can sleep in our own beds this coming August, and we promise to use some of Johns Creek's grocery stores to bring milk home on a daily basis.

This is our 21st year televising the PGA Championship at Turner Sports. This year on TNT we'll have 18 hours of coverage spread throughout Thursday through Sunday, and we'll be featuring yet again our award winning talent this year with Ernie Johnson, Ian Baker Finch, Billy Kratzert and Jim Huber.

In terms of PGA.com, the official site of the PGA Championship, we're again offering numerous products across all digital platforms, including broadband, tablets and mobile devices, allowing fans to follow the action wherever they are and as a complement to both TNT and CBS.

I'd also like to briefly thank our partners at the PGA of America for 21 great years, Joe Steranka, David Charles, Kevin Carter, Casey Morton, and of course Julius Mason, and the officers, as well, represented by Allen Wronowski, 20 plus years of partnership, for their consummate professionalism and for their friendship.

Also our colleagues at CBS, 20 plus years working together to televise the PGA Championship, Rob and Harold; they're the best in the business and great partners for us.

Lastly to the Atlanta Athletic Club. It may take until August to repair some of the divots that were created today by the folks in this room, but again, it really is a world class facility right here in our back yard, and we appreciate the hospitality. Thank you again and we're looking forward to seeing everyone in the second week of August for the 93rd PGA Championship.

JULIUS MASON: Thank you very much. And now from Hillendale Country Club in Phoenix, Maryland, the 37th president of the PGA of America, Mr. Allen Wronowski.

ALLEN WRONOWSKI: Thank you, Julius, and good afternoon, everyone. It's my privilege to be here representing the 27,000 men and women professionals of the PGA of America. I work hard every day to promote participation in the game of golf and maximize the enjoyment of that playing experience. And Rob, the good news is May as we know is PGA of America free lesson month; for you I've extended it to June, so there was no charge for that tip.

It's great to be back at the Atlanta Athletic Club in this region of the country where it's home to some of the most enthusiastic golf fans and some of the most knowledgeable sports fans in the world. In just two months, the 93rd PGA Championship will be conducted right here at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Conducting the PGA Championship here continues the PGA Championship tradition of matching the nation's greatest players and the world's greatest players on a great championship golf course.

Since 1994, the PGA Championship has hosted the deepest field based on the Official World Golf Rankings, and you may recall right here at the Atlanta Athletic Club in 2001 when you hosted we had 95 of the top 100 ranked players on the world golf ranking system. Last year's championship at Whistling Straits featured 97 of the top 100 world ranked players and a championship record of 73 players representing 22 countries, the most of any U.S. major.

The PGA Championship is the only championship that features an all professional field. 20 of the players will be our finest PGA club professionals who will earn their spots this June 29th at our 44th PGA professional national championship at the Hershey Country Club in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The excitement of the PGA Championship commands a global audience. In addition to the millions of United States viewers, we will match some 28 hours of high definition championship coverage by CBS Sports and TNT around the world. It will be done in more than 207 countries and territories with a household reach of more than 673 million who will also get to watch glory's last shot.

The PGA Championship has been fortunate each year to produce some special signature moments from champions who captured the Wanamaker Trophy. Those images are forever etched in time and serve as wonderful memories for golf throughout the world.

Our defending champion sitting next to me rallied on Sunday last year at Whistling Straits, making up a four shot deficit and capturing a three hole playoff. The PGA Championship was his first major and first American win. It came after a summer in which he tied for 8th in the U.S. Open and tied 7th in the U.S. Open Championship. If you were watching last year, you will recall his par saving putt on the 18th green at Whistling Straits, and if any of you out there have trouble remembering it, take a look at this video.

(Video played.)

It was my privilege to spend some time with Martin at last year's PGA Grand Slam of Golf, and then spending the time with him today on the golf course, he is certainly one of the greatest players of all time, but he's also one of the finest gentlemen that I've ever been around. Ladies and gentlemen, Martin Kaymer, our defending PGA champion.

MARTIN KAYMER: Well, it obviously was a fantastic year for me last year. That win, my first major, hopefully one of many, has not only changed my year but it has changed my life so far. It's been, what, nine, ten months now, and a lot has happened. Last year when I became the No. 1 in Europe, everybody asked me, so what was bigger, being No. 1 in Europe or winning a major, and it's tough to compare, but obviously to win a major, especially on a different continent, in America, was huge, and it's changed my life, my family life, as well. My family's life has become a little bit different, too. But all in a very positive way.

You know, I'm very proud and very happy to be the PGA champion for at least one year. No I'm really excited to come here to Atlanta in a few weeks. It's a fantastic golf course, I think. I played it today for the first time. It's about ball striking here. It's not only a putting competition. So I'm looking forward to coming here in a few weeks and hopefully defend my title.

JULIUS MASON: Our CEO Joe Steranka likes to say when you win a golf tournament you go in the history book, and when you win a major championship you go in the history book. Allen, you had a chance to play with Martin today. For those of us that didn't get a chance to walk all 18 holes with him, can you give us some perspective on what you saw out there, what it looked like today?

ALLEN WRONOWSKI: Well, I can. It was pretty doggone impressive. He drives it eight miles; pound per yard he's got to be one of the longest players ever because he can't weigh but about 155 and he hits it 320. Between that, and he's got the touch of a surgeon around the greens, he's solid, he's zoned in, he's got great control of the irons.

I really am impressed with players that control the trajectory of the ball, and one of the things I was watching Martin, he's really good at controlling the ball flight. He did a great job of that. So if you're looking for a chink, I couldn't find that, and I would say there's a good chance of defending. He was a couple under par today and it was a cake walk.

JULIUS MASON: I understand you were holding the scorecard. Care to share what he shot today?

ALLEN WRONOWSKI: Well, 2 or 3 under at least. I don't want to make anybody too scared.

Q. How would you describe the differences and similarities between Whistling Straits and this course?

MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I think it's very different. I said to Allen today on the golf course that I think Whistling Straits was a British Open golf course with good weather. When I came there on Monday, I felt fantastic straight away, and being in Atlanta obviously it's a very different golf course. I don't think it's going to be windy at all. It's going to be very hot, that's for sure.

When I saw the golf course today, you have to hit fairways. The fairways here are fantastic. The new surface that they have, if you hit the ball it always sounds good, so it makes you feel good about yourself when you're on the fairway.

Obviously the rough will be thick, will be Bermudagrass, so it will be difficult, but I think you get really rewarded, and I think it's a big advantage if you hit fairways. It's a long golf course, but still, you have to strike the ball well, and I like those golf courses when you have to hit it straight and it's not only a putting competition, that you can boom it down there and then chip it on the green. Here it's long and you have to be precise because it will be a very difficult challenge.

It's tough to compare to Whistling Straits because it's a different golf course, completely different, but at the end of the day you need to give yourself chances, avoid the big numbers. And it's easy to make double bogeys on this golf course, especially the last four holes. I think there might be some people struggling to get home in two on the par 4s, and I think 15, that par 3, if they put the tee all the way back there, I can see guys hitting 3 woods down there.

So it will be a tough tournament for sure. It's all about patience and giving yourself chances.

Q. You said at your young age and only playing the Tour for a few years in the video, you were surprised that you had already won a major championship. What was it about last year that kind of surprised you that you won it so young in your career?

MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I think in general 2010 was a spectacular year for me, very unexpected. Of course I was thinking that I can do well, that I can win golf tournaments, but I was not really thinking winning majors already. I think it will take some time and some major championships to finally win one. I thought I might have to put myself a lot of times in contention to get used to that feeling, to win one of the biggest tournaments, and after being in contention, if you want to say so, maybe once at the U.S. Open and a little bit at the British Open last year, but obviously Louis won by a few shots in the end, so the PGA Championship here at Whistling Straits last year, when I went into the final round I was not really thinking about winning to be honest because I think Nick Watney was up there, a few other guys. For me it was important to make the Ryder Cup team. That was important to me.

So a lot of what happened last year was very unexpected. I became the No. 1 in Europe, won a major, played the Ryder Cup in Europe, we won the Ryder Cup. So they were all career goals, and I kind of like achieved all those goals with the age of 25. And then people ask me, so what are your next goals you want to ask that, too, right? (Laughter.)

And of course I have more goals. My biggest goal is to win the British Open one day. That is the only major we have in Europe, and I would love to win it, preferably in St. Andrews.

Then obviously the Hall of Fame is a big thing. It probably will take me a few years and a few more wins and a few more majors to get there. But those things are like life goals. That is a career life goal, I think, to get into the Hall of Fame. But last year I think was a good first step.

Q. After you toured the course today, your thoughts about it? But one thing, when they played the PGA here ten years ago you had the two lowest scores in history, Toms and Mickelson. Is that surprising to you that the scores were that low, and do you expect them to be anywhere close to that this time around?

MARTIN KAYMER: Well, obviously I don't know how the golf course was ten years ago. I know that they've changed it a little bit, but I can see why David Toms won here, for example. He's not one of the longest hitters on Tour, but he's very straight, and that is what I said earlier, which is very important. But I don't see a guy winning here with 15 , 16 or 18 under par. I struggle to see that. I'm sure they're going to change the rough a little bit, as well, so you get even more penalized when you're in there. The greens are going to be firmer and faster. I'm expecting maybe single digits under par. That might be my guess for winning here.

But I don't see I think David Toms was 14 under or 15 under, so I struggle to see that these days.

Q. Not only your win at Whistling Straits but some others you mentioned and of course the Masters this year, European players have had a great deal of success lately, not only in Europe obviously but here. Do you think the sort of unseen barrier or unspoken about barrier of European guys winning tournaments here and winning big tournaments here is gone, those days are over, those days are past, and what are your emotions about so many European guys being in the top of the World Rankings now?

MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I think, first of all, it's great for the game of golf to have worldwide players up there. There used to be only Tiger and Phil, No. 1 and 2, for many, many years, and now it's changing kind of like every week, every month.

But I think everything started when Padraig Harrington won in America, when he won a couple majors here, the PGA and when he won the British Open. I think he started us believing that we can win even the big tournaments in America and not only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

And that was kind of like I think the start for us to trust in ourselves and to believe in our abilities.

And then obviously Graeme McDowell, he won the U.S. Open last year, and then I got lucky at the PGA last year. So we will see what's going to happen the next few majors in the next few years, but I think even in America you have a lot of great young players now, obviously Dustin Johnson, Nick Watney, Anthony Kim and Rickie Fowler, so it'll be nice, especially nice for me because I know I'm going to play against those guys the next 10, 15 years, so it's very exciting, and I'm sure there might be some Asian players coming through soon. And I think for the game of golf it's fantastic at the moment.

Q. A lot of the top European players come over and play some of the PGA Tour events and they play some of the European Tour events. Describe for me how you made the decision which events to play throughout the course of the year.

MARTIN KAYMER: For me it's important to play the biggest tournaments in the world every year, and obviously through my top 50 in the World Ranking I can play any tournament I want pretty much. So my schedule is yeah, at the beginning of the year I play a lot in America because we have the World Golf Championship event in Arizona, then in Florida, then the Masters, and now in the summertime I pretty much go back to Europe, and I'll only come back for the majors and for the Firestone and the last World Golf Championship event that we play.

Of course I was thinking about to join the PGA Tour this year, but then I had a look at the schedule, and you need to play 15 tournaments in America at least, and I need to play 13 in Europe. And me living in Germany, it would have been a little bit too much travel wise, and I'm only 26 years old, and I don't want to get burned out soon.

I was thinking about I feel very comfortable in Europe at the moment, and I would love to play more in America, but I don't want to be under pressure too much to play those 15 events. And people can say, yeah, well, you can easily get 15 tournaments. You can, but only if you get into the FedExCup, and I cannot expect myself to have every year a fantastic year and get to the finals.

And then if you don't make the finals you have to come back for the fall season, and in the fall you have great tournaments in Europe. So it's kind of like a little bit of a conflict. But for me it's important to play all the majors, the World Golf Championship events, and a few in America there are a few tournaments that I really prefer to play. I can come over and get invitations. So this year so far and last year has worked out very well for me.

Q. I'm wondering if you would discuss the variety of the golf course that you found today for the first time, and also, how often do you feel you'll not use driver, that driver will be taken out of your hands?

MARTIN KAYMER: On this golf course?

Q. Yes.

MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, today I was trying to play the golf course as aggressive as possible to see how far I can go, how short the golf course can play, and sure we had actually a very good caddie today. He was telling me a few things what happened ten years ago where people were hitting the golf ball, where they were laying up, and I think there will still be a lot of drivers because it's a long golf course, but sometimes it's more important to hit the fairway even though you have a longer club into the green because the rough will be thick.

I think I tough to say. I think I have to say, par 4s and par 5s combined, you'd probably hit eight, nine times a driver and the others only 3 woods. There are a couple of short par 4s, a couple doglegs here and there where you can't hit driver, but on some homes like 16, 18, I'm happy to have the big one in the bag.

Q. You mentioned when you teed off on Sunday last year you were not thinking about winning. At what point did you start thinking about winning? In general what's your philosophy about looking at the leaderboard on Sunday?

MARTIN KAYMER: I think I was thinking about winning when I was in the lead after five or six holes. You know, all of a sudden I saw myself leading a major championship, the PGA. Of course it was very surprising to see Nick Watney making some mistakes at the beginning of the round, and all of a sudden I made some birdies, and I was up there. And then I thought I talked to my caddie, and I said, it doesn't really matter what happened today for myself. It's the first time for myself I am leading a major championship, so let's try to make the best out of it. And yeah, we did. So that was pretty much the point where I was believing that I can win the tournament.

Usually I'm following the leaderboards. I'm not getting nervous when I see myself up there if I am only one or two behind. It's even more exciting then. That's what you're playing golf for, for that excitement and for that adrenaline that you build up or that you get, especially the last five, six holes. So for me usually it's not a problem, and it gave me even more motivation on that Sunday at Whistling Straits.

Q. Kind of twofold, how do your contemporaries view this championship? It's been pretty well documented how the first three are thought about, but how do your contemporaries view this PGA, and would you like to see more of the top Americans go to Wentworth and play in the PGA there?

MARTIN KAYMER: Yes, for sure. I think it's a fantastic tournament. It's our best tournament that we have in Europe. It's a great golf course. There were a lot of World Ranking points. I think this year we had the best field we ever had, and I think a lot of guys and I think Tim Finchem and George O'Grady, they're talking about the World Tour at the moment. I think it will take maybe another two, three years, but I think eventually it will come, and then people if they want to or not, they have to travel.

It would have been nice if a few more Americans would come over to our big event, but then on the other hand you can argue that why didn't Lee Westwood come over to TPC? Just one of those things that I think it's up to the players, where they feel more comfortable. And I think what you should never forget, as well, a lot of guys, they have families at home, as well, and they want to be home on Sunday evening and bring the kids to school on Monday morning. And if you travel so much then you can't do that all the time.

So you know, I can understand those styles, but at the end of the day, the player decides where he wants to play. Would have been nice to have a few more Americans over, but we'll see, maybe next year or in two years when we have the World Tour. Who knows?

Q. Kind of off the PGA Championship, with your win last year and the Olympics coming up, is the game of golf becoming a more popular sport in your home country?

MARTIN KAYMER: Yes, I think in general the sport has become huge in Germany at the moment. We have a lot of great athletes. You can see I think last night he was on, Dirk Nowitzki, trying to get the trophy in the NBA there. So golf, yes, is getting bigger, as well. There's that girl, Sandra Gal, she won on the LPGA Tour recently. I've done well here on the PGA TOUR so far. So golf is definitely growing, getting a little bit more popular.

Even my old school where I went to school they're offering golf now in the afternoon in my gym. You can do some golf class if you want to. So it's getting bigger, and I was very surprised how many people were recognizing me on the street.

Golf was never really big in Germany. We had only one guy, Bernhard Langer, who did a tremendous job for us, for golf in Germany. What he did was obviously amazing. But him living in America, it was tough to find a connection to him and to golf.

And now golf is growing, I think, in the world, but especially in my country, as well. I think for me to represent Germany in the Olympics in 2016, it doesn't really get bigger than that, to travel there with all the other German athletes and live in the village with them. I think for an athlete it doesn't get better than being up there on the stand and having the gold medal in your hand because that is something you achieve not only for yourself but it's what you did for your country, and I think it doesn't get better.

JULIUS MASON: I'm happy to see on my Blackberry here on PGA.com that your autograph is much more valuable than Dirk's right now on eBay. (Laughter.)

MARTIN KAYMER: It might change soon when he wins.

Q. Martin, would you expand on your thoughts, please, a little bit more about how a potential World Tour would work and benefit both America and Europe and Asia, as well?

MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I think the good thing at the moment is that the European Tour is doing business with the Asian Tour, like a long time ago already, a few years. I think that could help.

But I think the World Tour looks like it's very tough to say because there are so many regulations. Obviously the politics play a big role, as well, in the end. But I think if Tim Finchem and George O'Grady, if they get along and if they find a way to sit down maybe on one table with the Asian guys and maybe the guys from Dubai, then I think they can do something huge, which obviously includes us. We'd probably have to travel more. Actually for us Europeans we probably might stay the same but maybe the American players might have to travel more because there might be big tournaments in Asia coming up or bigger tournaments in Europe, as well.

But I think it will be like looking towards let's say the Olympics, for example, that would only help me as a player. I became better from playing around the world. I played a lot in Asia at the beginning of my career, a few times in America at the beginning, and obviously a lot in Europe, and I've found or I created different kind of golf shafts because I needed it because I played on different kind of grasses, and obviously the weather is different, and I became a better player through this. So I can see only advantages of that.

But I can only see or as well I can see what I said earlier, that you should never forget the families, as well. They have to travel, as well, and if you have kids, obviously they need to go to school, so it will be very difficult. And I think those things that need to be in consideration, as well, before you make such a big decision about the World Tour, because at the end of the day we're just playing a game, and it's just our passion and love that we have. But I think it's important that the families should not suffer.

Q. How old were you when you started playing golf and what was it in your life that got you playing golf?

MARTIN KAYMER: I was 10 years old, 10, 11 years old, and my dad, he took my brother and me to a public range in Germany. I think it was one of the very few that we had in our area, in our region, in Düsseldorf, and then I just created that love and that passion after a while. I was playing soccer for 12, 13 years, started when I was three years old, and then I quit when I was 15, 16 because golf became so important to me.

Golf has changed me as a person, as well, a little bit. I learned a lot about respect, about values in life, to be honest with yourself because you're the only person pretty much who can give yourself a penalty if you do something that somebody hasn't seen that you're playing with. So those things, they were very important to me, and everything started 15 years ago.

So my dad, he introduced my brother and me to golf.

JULIUS MASON: Ladies and gentlemen, if you have not applied yet for media credentials to the PGA Championship, please visit www.pgamediacenter.com and do so as soon as possible. For those of you that are looking for a transcript from today's news conference you can also visit PGA.com.